Iran Announces Yellowcake Production Just in Time For Nuclear Talks in Geneva

Iran announced on Sunday that it now has its first batch of uranium yellowcake, which is "the raw material for enrichment" on the way to nuclear capabilities. The very public posturing comes before Monday's talks in Geneva with world powers about Iran's nuclear program, so the existence of usable yellowcake and subsequent announcement are something of a power play for the nation. Iran claims they are now "self-sufficient" in the nuclear fuel cycle.

More from AFP, quoting atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi's speech on state television:

"Iran has become self-sufficient in the entire fuel cycle, starting from (uranium) exploration, mining and then turning it into yellowcake and converting it to UF6 and then turning it into fuel plates or pellets," he said.

He said Iran would formally notify the International Atomic Energy Agency of its yellowcake production but declined to disclose the amount of the first domestically produced batch.